Estreoth/Barafet Desert
The Barafet Desert (Kirali: The Fireland) is the single largest desert in Estreoth and is the westernmost region of the Etrothos continent. The region is bordered by water on both its eastern and its western coast. The Barafet has a long cultural history and has been inhabited since the ancient kingdom. Overview The Barafet is one the largest regions and is the largest desert in the world of Estreoth. Geographically it is split into two main regions, the northern and southern regions. The Northern region has been continually inhabited for some ten thousand years, since before the Ancient Kingdom. This is due in part to the many oasis's that dot the northern region. While there are numerous expanses of sand dunes in some areas, they do not dominate the region. Flora is relatively common, as far as the Barafet goes, in the north, which prevents the region from becoming an ocean of sand. The Southern region is split into two regions, the Dune Sea and Tarnus. The Dune Sea is often refered to as the Central Barafet, while the Tarnus is known as the Southern Barafet. The region is extremely harsh, even in comparison to the north. Large Sand Dragons, also known as Dune Worms, lurk beneath the sand. These ferocious beasts have been known to grow up to a hundred feet long. They are extremely common in the Tarnus, where they are said to be hunted by an even larger beast, referred to as the Tarnus Beast. The Dune Sea, despite it's inhospitable nature, does have a sizable population of nomads (believed to be in excess of 100,000) that travel the dunes. These nomads have almost always responded to foreigners attempts at communication with violence. These nomads do not venture into the Tarnus. Geography Due to it's massive size, and vast geological differences, the Barafet is often divided into two section, the northern and southern. The Northern region is by far the most habitable due to it's thick rooted flora and relatively manageable creatures. In contrast, the southern region has no known permanent settlements as a result of the massive expanse of the Dune Sea. Some nomads inhabit these dunes in temporary settlements, however many nomads are hostile to non-kin folk. The far southern region is considered by most to be uninhabitable by humans. Sparse rain, high temperatures, and monster creatures has led many to believe it is impossible to survive there. The Barafet is cut off from the Ginryu Sea everywhere but at Tarcova by the Dyorian Mountains. The western coast has no such obstructions. Climate Depending on the region, the Barafet can either be an arid yet livable environment or a burning, sand filled hell. The northern region averages temperatures above 90 degrees, with spikes above 110 fairly common in the summer months. Rainfall is low, but not non-existent. Desert cactus are capable of living in the northern region. Wind storms with winds over 100 miles an hour are seasonal typically occurring twice a year. The northern region is also home to the Great Oasis along the coastline. The central region less than three inches a year of rain. It is rare for the wind to fall under thirty miles an hour during the day. Temperatures average between five and ten degrees higher than the northern region. The Tarnus is trapped within a perpetual storm. The sky is always blacked out with black clouds (that hold no rain) and large sand tornadoes typically rip across the land. Wind speeds rarely, if ever, fall under fifty miles an hour; although it is not unheard of for some small areas to be shielded from the intense wind. Because the clouds act as an insulator, the Tarnus has temperatures up to 130 degrees, possibly up to 150. Most information about the Tarnus comes from accounts given by soliders who traveled there during the Death Bringer's Invasion of Estreoth. History The Barafet has been continually inhabited since before the time of the Old Kingdom; during which period many structures were constructed in the northern region and a few in the central region. Following the fall of the old Kingdom, the region fell into relative chaos for several hundred years. Between the fall of the Ancient Kingdom and the rise of Morith, a civilization known as the Kiralin arose in the northern Barafet. Although they existed a mere two hundred years, from approximately 300 BM to 100 BM, they left a lasting influence on the future civilizations, especially with their language, Kirali. The Barafet sustained the most damage during the Death Bringer's invasion of Estreoth, as the southern Barafet served as their arrival point. Due to the Legions advanced technology, they easily traversed the harshest of Estreoth's terrain and quickly attacked the northern regions. Anktolia suffered the worst as they were utterly unprepared for the assault. Some of the smaller settlements escaped the Legions assault. Today Anktolia controls much of the Northern Barafet, albeit in name only as they lack the resources to fully protect the region. As such, travel is still a dangerous thing in the eastern portions of the region, although with the fall of the Legion and the growth the Gunryo, the region has begun to grow safer. Prior to the Great Cataclysm, the Barafet consisted of mostly dry savanna intermixed with the occasional band of grassland plain. Although the land was dry, the flora and fauna of the region had adapted to survive. However, during the cataclysm, the pyroclastic flows reached the Dyorian mountains and incinerated much of the savanna. The southern region was burnt behind recognition. Desertification quickly overtook the region and left only the northern region inhabitable. Incredibly, the Dark Tower survived, despite many similar buildings being destroyed. Natives Humans * Desert Nomads Creatures * Dune Lizard * Sand Dragons * Sand Toad * Several species of Snakes * Tarnus Beast * Three-Toed Lizard Sub-Regions * Barus Plains * Dune Sea * Dyorian Mountains * Great Oasis * Tarnus Region Places Cities * Anktolia - Capital of the region, and the largest city in the area. * Damus - Port city located on the western coast of the northern Barafet. Towns * Kalanti - A medium sized oasis town located south of Namadi'Aman * Korech - A small "one horse town" located between Rune and Anktolia. * Novalis - * Sarnum - A medium sized villages located north of Damus. * Tarcova - A small coastal town built at the mouth of the only mountain pass in the Dyorian moutains. Settlements * Enduro - An extremely small 4 building settlement located in the northern Barafet. * Sand Raider Camp - Located deep within the Barus Plains, south-east of the mobile base wreck. Military Settlements * Fort Mios - Anktolian fort that guards the Tarcovian Mountain Pass. Points of Interest * Death Bringer's Base - The abandoned Death Bringer's Legion advanced base in the Tarnus. * Death Bringer Mobile Base Wreck - Remains of a Death Bringer's Mobile Base shot down over the Barus by Jet Seyre. * Namadi'Aman - Ancient Ruins from the Kiralin north west of Kalanti. * The Scar - A 20 mile long stretch of glassed desert caused by Jet Seyre's totencrutz. * The Tower - A mysterious, ancient tower build nearly 10,000 years ago. Category:Estreoth Category:Regions